JIMMY CHOO

JIMMY CHOO

ABOUT JIMMY CHOO

Sandra Choi is Creative Director of Jimmy Choo Ltd, an iconic luxury lifestyle brand defined by an empoweredsense of glamour and a confident sense of style. Born in the UK on the Isle of Wight, and educated in HongKong, Choi relocated to London as a teenager to finish her secondary school education.

During this time, Choi went to work with her uncle, Jimmy Choo, who was then a couture shoemaker based in the East End of London catering to the global jet set, including Princess Diana. Passionate about turning her apprenticeship into a career as a designer, Choi attended the prestigious Central St Martins School where she studied for a degree in Fashion Design whilst continuing work as Choo’s protégé. At his side, Choi perfecting the art of creating couture shoes: designing, cutting patterns, stitching, fitting and constructing lasts. Enchanted by the business, Choi eventually abandoned her studies so that she could devote herself full-time to design and the management of the atelier.

In 1996, the Jimmy Choo brand was born with Sandra Choi serving as the company’s Creative Director. Since its inception, Jimmy Choo has grown to be an internationally recognised label with a passionate clienteleworldwide.

The company’s first Jimmy Choo store was opened in 1996 on Motcomb Street in London complementing adistribution in some of the most prestigious and selective department stores. The sexy cut and fashionabledesign of the shoes combined with exceptional Italian craftsmanship struck a chord with clientele, and the firstcollection enjoyed immediate success. Choi’s fashion insight combined with the skills she refined as a bespokeshoemaker created a collection that made couture quality available at retail.

With a strategy to expanding internationally, the company established a retail presence in the United Stateswith its first store in New York City in 1998, followed by Los Angeles in 1999. Using the store’s LA foothold tocater to Hollywood celebrities, Choi worked with celebrities and their stylists from a hotel atelier creatingJimmy Choo shoes for award show dressing. The red carpet proved to be the ideal runway for shoes and thenhandbags, as actresses such as Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Natalie Portman all took theirpaces wearing Jimmy Choo.

Accolades followed with Jimmy Choo awarded 2008 'Designer Brand of the Year' from the British FashionCouncil, the 2008 ‘ACE Brand of the Year' from the Accessory Council and the 2008 'Brand of the Year' fromFootwear News in New York.

With a goal of creating a global luxury business, Jimmy Choo attracted outside investment and the companyembarked on a significant expansion across product categories, channels and geographies. Mr Choo departedthe company in 2001.

As of 2011, Jimmy Choo is part of Labelux GmbH, a privately held luxury goods portfolio. Today, Jimmy Chooencompasses a complete luxury lifestyle accessory brand with women’s shoes, handbags, small leather goods,scarves, sunglasses, eyewear, belts, men’s shoes and fragrance. Its products are available in a growing network of Jimmy Choo freestanding stores as well as in the most prestigious department and specialty storesworldwide. From its original base in the United Kingdom and United States, the Jimmy Choo store networknow encompasses 150 locations in 32 countries.